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Uhh the joyous plank. The man-made exercise that aims to develop core strength – something that all of us on ShortList severely lack.

And, while we would rather spend our time enjoying things like brunch or heading to the cinemas, it looks like there are some people who actually enjoy it and, have won prizes for their ability to plank for prolonged periods of time.

In fact, just this past weekend, a man by the name of Ali Khalfan managed to plank for an impressive 90 minutes (it was 1 hour, 29 minutes and 30 seconds, to be exact) making him the winner of Fitness Bootcamp Dubai’s “plank challenge”.

Coming in at second was by Jonathan Ldx, who planked for 1 hour 25 minutes while Ahmed Zahran came in third at 37 minutes 27 seconds – not bad.

Kamillah Khasanova won first place in the women’s division for her 30 minute plank. Lena Wong placed second with 14 minutes while Lena Joulahjian came in at third with 12 minutes.

Right, so while we question our life choices (not really), here’s some tips on how to get into better shape – you know, in case you’d like to take part in Fitness Bootcamp Dubai’s next plank challenge…

Choose the right location - Places like Al Ittihad Park in The Palm and Safa Park are surrounded by trees to offer you some shade during your workout to avoid dehydration.

Hydrate before, during, and after your workout - It's easy to become dehydrated by not realising how much water you're drinking.

Download the WaterMinder app - It will help you track your water intake and based in your body weight, remind you to drink water and stay hydrated. On average, you’re meant to have 8 glasses of water every day.

Choose cooler cardio workouts like swimming in cold water

Motivate yourself with music

For those of you rolling your eyes and claiming not to have time to go to the gym (same), here’s how you can workout at home…

Pocket YogaPractice your sun salutations before breakfast with this yoga app that has settings for all difficulty levels. There are over 200 illustrated poses, and your pocket yogi instructor will guide you through the entire practice.Available on iOS and Android devices

7 Minute WorkoutIf you're shot on time, this little workout is perfect. It's designed for those who want to lose weight, with a high-intensity workout of 12 30-second exercises, each with a 10 second break in between.Available on iOS and Android devices

GymNadzSpecifically made for women who need a bit of help with incorporating fitness into their daily lives, GymNadz offers short workouts and easy-to-follow recipes. Available in English and Arabic.Available on iOS and Android devices